Zentatsu Richard Baker received Dharma Transmission from Shunryu Suzuki Roshi in 1971 and was the second abbot of Zen Center, serving from 1971 until 1983. He was instrumental in the purchase of Tassajara Zen Mountain Center and Green Gulch Farm. He was also the leading force in setting up Zen Center's financial base of support, including Greens Restaurant at Fort Mason and Tassajara Bakery in San Francisco. Although the circumstances leading to his resignation in 1984 were difficult and complex, there has been a renewal of friendship and Dharma relations. In his teaching, Baker emphasized Zen's yogic teachings and the relevance of Zen to contemporary philosophical and social issues. After leaving SF Zen Center in 1984, he subsequently founded Dharma Sangha in Crestone, Colorado and a Dharma Sangha Center in Germany.